


A Simple Question

by triumphforks



Category: Inazuma Eleven
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-15
Updated: 2019-05-15
Packaged: 2020-03-05 23:51:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18839317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/triumphforks/pseuds/triumphforks
Summary: Gouenji and Kidou spend some time together during their last year of high school.





	A Simple Question

It was hitting the point where Gouenji was finding it difficult to concentrate. How long had he been studying? It felt like hours, but he was afraid to check in case it had really been… much less than that. Regardless, he wasn’t going to be able to keep going much longer. Not without a break. He was starting to pick up on pointless things: like how fascinating the texture of paper could be, when compared to the dull words written on it, or how suddenly every twist and turn in the wood grain of the table was so engrossing, especially the parts that trailed off beneath the stacks of books and paper. Other things stood out, too. How good it felt to flick his pen back and forth between his fingers; the aches in his strained hand and shoulders; how many impossible-to-catch strands of hair were falling annoyingly over his face and making his skin itch. 

No. Studying was not getting done. Not until he refreshed himself with the world outside the books, so it would stop being so tempting and distracting. 

There was no helping it, then. He dropped his pen (making a satisfying  _ thud  _ on his book) and leaned back, stretching. He let his eyes slide over to the figure hunched over the other side of the table, wondering if he’d noticed, wondering if he’d like to have a break from this too. 

He liked studying with Kidou. It was a good excuse to see each other, with club suspended for the exam period, and it was a lot more productive than “studying” with a large group. It was just… very quiet. And at times like this, even a little lonely. 

“Kidou,” he said, realising he’d have to say something if he wanted the other’s attention.

“Yeah?”, he replied, not looking up, barely even pausing in taking his own notes. 

“Why do you like me?”

That got a pause - but only slight. The question took Kidou by surprise, but apparently not enough to actually stop him from working. He did smile though - and he felt like beneath those goggles Kidou’s eyes had taken just a second to glance up at him. 

“Why? I think you’re cute.”

“Cute?” There must have been something in his voice, because at that Kidou did stop to look at him properly. His smile turned in to a smirk, teasing.

“You don’t know? You don’t usually say what you’re thinking, but it’s always so clear on your face. I love watching you react to things. It’s almost like you can’t help yourself. Whenever something happens, I try and guess what your expression will say. It’s cute.” He’d started off speaking almost like a declaration, but somewhere in the middle it had turned in to just another thing to say. By the end his attention had even gone back to his notes, as though what he’d said was just idle talk, and not something that had made Gouenji suddenly feel very conscious.  

“I don’t even need to look to know you’re pouting right now,” Kidou said, and true to his word he didn’t look - his eyes went to his textbook instead.    
“I’m not,” he said, a bit more forcibly than he should have.

“You are,” Kidou shot back, smirking again without his eyes leaving his work. “You’re thinking  _ oh no, am I really that obvious? How do I know what kind of face I’m making? Should I stop this? _ ...or something like that.” 

“No I’m not,” he replied, hating how accurate Kidou was. Was he really so obvious? It wasn’t something he’d thought about - or something he thought he’d  _ needed  _ to think about - but what if it was? What if-

“Don’t worry.” Kidou’s voice broke through his thoughts. “You’re so open, and honest. You never even hesitate. You always react to things so truthfully. And that’s what I like about you.”

Hearing that made him settle, at least a little. And he smiled himself. He doubted he could ever be so truthful as Kidou was - saying so much as though it was nothing. Not if he stopped to think about it, anyway, but it was starting to seem like that wouldn’t be a problem.  

“You’re smiling now,” Kidou said, and still he didn’t even glance up. 

“I’m not,” he replied for the third time, even though they were both well aware he was lying. And he left it at that. It was probably not the best to keep interrupting Kidou’s studying, even though he wasn’t quite ready to go back to it himself. He leaned forward on his notes instead, watching the other, studying his face, looking for his own expression, wondering how he could always be so calm and observant. It was then that he saw it - the slightest of blush, brushing the top of his ears, the rest impossible to see with the angle Kidou was holding his face at. 

_ He’s right, _ he thought, smiling quietly to himself. _ It is cute. _

 

* * *

 

It wasn’t like they  _ needed _ to walk all the way to the convenience store for snacks - the Kidou house was rarely, if ever, understocked. But it wasn’t really about the snacks, was it? It was an excuse to get out, to stretch their legs, to stop studying if just for a short time. It was an excuse to take a moment and  _ actually  _ hang out together, without all those books and notes getting in the way. 

It was on the way back, and during a quiet stretch of the walk, that Kidou let his thoughts wander. Days like this were running out, he knew. And while the studying was tedious, this part of it - the afternoon air with the first hint of summer, the sky wide and blue, time hanging freely and without immediacy - this was what he’d miss. Surely adult life would have space for this? He snuck a look at Gouenji, walking beside him. He was finishing off his ice block, and had that absent look to him, as he so often did; staring off into nothing in a way he only did when he felt truly comfortable. Surely adult life would still have time for scenes like this. It couldn’t all be ending so soon!

Kidou’s thoughts went back to earlier, with that brief conversation… and decided now that he wasn’t busy trying to fit as much information in his head as he could, he wanted to continue it.

“Shuuya.”

“Hmm?”

“Why do you like me?” He didn’t take his eyes from the other boy, all poised and ready to analyse any shift in his demeanour. But it turned out Gouenji didn’t change much at all - aside from the tiniest of furrow in his brows, and chewing on the tip of the now-finished ice block, he still had that absent air about him. 

“... I don’t know,” he said finally, his voice both light and calm. 

“You don’t know?” He nudged him teasingly.  _ Cute. _

“No. Well. Maybe…” he trailed off, and his brows furrowed more. He was really thinking now - staring in to the distance still, but with purpose, as if there was an answer waiting at the end of the suburban street. “... I’m happy when you’re happy. And I’m happy when I’m with you. So it makes sense that I want to be with you and make you happy. Right?” Gouenji looked at him, and smiled, confident. His heart skipped. He’d found himself somewhere in that brief space of intense thinking, and once he had the words to say it he had a new kind of truth, one he would stick to no matter what. It was… it was  _ cute _ , there was no other word for it, but it did make him want to tease. Just a little.

“What if I said that’s not enough?” He looked over, slyly, watching for the other’s reaction. If he had to guess, he’d say that that slight frown would return, as he tried to think of a better way to put his feelings, or come up with a new reason all together. What Kidou didn’t expect was for his expression to change completely, falling from confident to dejected, with an added hint of confusion, giving the overall impression of a puppy who didn’t know why he’d just been scolded.  _ Adorable.  _ That was the only word for it. But as much as he enjoyed it (and he did - it was the kind of reaction he’d only get if Gouenji really, truly, cared about him; he was allowed to feel good about that, wasn’t he?), he was hit with guilt, as well. 

“I’m just teasing!”, he said with what he hoped was a reassuring laugh, and if that wasn’t enough he followed up with a shoulder nudge, snaking his arm around Gouenji’s and firmly taking hold of his hand. He could feel the other’s mood lighten, just with that; not that it was an insignificant move! It was quite bold of him, actually, considering he was definitely not the type to be so obvious in public. But they were close enough to his home that he felt his own mild embarrassment was worth it, if it meant he could make up for his own (not ill-intentioned) thoughtlessness. 

“Kidou?” 

“Yeah?” Gouenji had changed his pace a little, doing that thing where he closed what little distance was between them to casually brush against his shoulder with every other step.

“I love you.”

He could feel his face getting red. He was choked - no matter how many times he heard it, he still couldn’t reply. Even though he was sure by now that he felt the same. He was just thankful it didn’t seem to bother Gouenji, who had (he confirmed with a glance) slipped back in to his comfortable, absent-minded state. 

The best he could do was squeeze his hand a little tighter, and to make a wish that, no matter what the future brought, there was still time for moments like this.


End file.
